Benny & Joon
Closed 2h 30m
Benny & Joon
79

Benny & Joon NJ Reviews and Tickets

79%
(50 Ratings)
Positive
82%
Mixed
14%
Negative
4%
Members say
Entertaining, Great acting, Quirky, Delightful, Funny

About the Show

Based on the 1993 film starring Johnny Depp, this new musical is offers a comic and tender-hearted celebration of love: between children and parents; romantic partners; friends; and most of all, siblings.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (50)

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158 Reviews | 24 Followers
95
Masterful, Great writing, Great singing, Great acting, Enchanting

See it if You love romance and want to see a sentimental, moving work of theatre.

Don't see it if You do not want to make a trip out to New Jersey. Read more

130 Reviews | 41 Followers
90
Dated, Entertaining, Delightful

See it if You like Bryce Pinkham - great actor. You've never been to Papermill Playhouse - SO cute and easy to get to from NYC. You liked the movie.

Don't see it if You did not like the movie and you do not like quirky shows. It is definitely different, not a standard musical.

147 Reviews | 13 Followers
89
Quirky, Great staging, Great singing, Great acting, Enchanting

See it if You like romantic funny musicals or are a fan of the film. A great take on mental health issues. Also get to visit Milburn and the Papermill

Don't see it if You don't have a romantic heart, or want a huge production.

57 Reviews | 12 Followers
88
Enchanting, Quirky, Entertaining, Delightful, Clever

See it if You are interested in a thoughtful, well told story about people who are struggling real life challenges. A must see for Bryce Pinkham fans

Don't see it if If you have issues with challenging topics like mental illness and loss Read more

305 Reviews | 60 Followers
86
Poignant, Resonant, Intelligent, Delightful

See it if you want 2 c a very sweet, moving musical about a brother/sister relationship & the importance of family in caring & protecting each other.

Don't see it if you don't like serious musicals that touch on mental illness told through the eyes of the brother/sister relationship & the sacrifices made.

129 Reviews | 26 Followers
86
Great acting, Enchanting, Absorbing

See it if This is a delightful production, cleverly staged and well acted.

Don't see it if you don’t have a heart

302 Reviews | 99 Followers
85
Fluffy, Clever, Funny

See it if You’re a fan of the movie. Bryce Pinkham is the perfect Sam

Don't see it if You want serious theatre. This is a fun, light show full of great physical humor.

86 Reviews | 24 Followers
85
Great cast, strong book, sweet, funny, weak music

See it if You know and love the movie, like stories that deal in a lighthearted but truthful way about mental illness.

Don't see it if You want a high-energy musical with big production numbers. This is more like a play with music. It's more play than musical. Read more

Critic Reviews (17)

Theatermania
April 17th, 2019

"A sweet and innocuous musical...With only the safest explorations of its darker undertow...Sam remains the primary appeal...All you want is another peek at Sam's colorful inner life, dispensed by Pinkham in addictively entertaining spurts...It's when things flip back to traditional musical mode that ‘Benny & Joon’ loses its eccentric luster...Most of those unadorned moments unfortunately fall to Benny and his love interest...A dreary complement to the main event.”
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BroadwayWorld
April 15th, 2019

"his new musical enjoys outstanding direction by Jack Cummings III, clever choreography by Scott Rink, and top music direction by J. Oconer Navarro with orchestrations by Michael Starobin. The show's marvelous cast brings the honest, touching, and entertaining story to life...The musical numbers are a great fit for the story and the vocal performances couldn't be better."
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Lighting & Sound America
April 16th, 2019

“’Benny and Joon’ isn't overly concerned with reality -- Most...problems were built into the source material, the 1993 film -- but musicalizing it accentuates them...’Benny and Joon’ has its offhand, off-the-cuff charms, but it is saddled with a too-sunny attitude about mental illness and a principal character who is spun out of pure celluloid. Even fairy tales need a kernel of truth if they are to be believed; this one has a prince who, despite a fine performance, tries too hard to be charming.”
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Talkin' Broadway
April 18th, 2019

"Transcends expected limitations and serves as the basis for a highly styled, richly inventive, sad and funny fantasy which employs classic silent movie pantomime to create a magical world of its own...Bryce Pinkham's award-caliber Sam is the heart and soul of this production. He gracefully and gently coaxes all of the humor out of the comic routines which he performs without ever sacrificing the integrity of his characterization."
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CurtainUp
April 27th, 2019

"Except for a few minor additions and alternations, the book by Kirsten Guenther is respectful of its source. Audiences unfamiliar with the film will need time to adjust to the collaborators' deliberately soft-peddle approach to the material. Thanks to a delightfully quirky performance by Bryce Pinkham, the musical achieves most of its goal as an affecting oddity...The always affable score adds appreciably to the romance set in motion by the needs of two scarred and scared people."
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Theater Pizzazz
April 16th, 2019

"This is a lovable, witty, spry musical with an incredible cast...Pinkham gives a deliciously physical, marvelous performance with astounding grace, sincerity and warmth. It’s truly Pinkham’s show...A gifted, mesmerizing performance...The production’s music...is delightful. It completely captures the whimsy and the serious-mindedness of the film. The lyrics are mostly rhyming couplets but it works...Cummings III keeps things moving at a sprightly pace...Highly enjoyable.”
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Front Mezz Junkies
April 15th, 2019

“The musical adaptation of the movie has found the way to cook up the flavor and the temperature that this fairytale-like story needs, taking the innocent wonder of the film, even though it and this musical has somewhat of an overly simplistic look at mental disorders and family dynamics, and turned it into a one-man pantomime...Bryce just can’t be outdone or ignored...Even when the show gives little time for his gorgeous voice, the performance dazzles.”
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Broadway Blog
April 18th, 2019

"The result: Boring and Jejune...This musical treatment, directed by Jack Cummings III, misfires on all cylinders. Those unfamiliar with the film will most likely be left scratching their heads wondering why there is so little dramatic tension. An even bigger question that looms: What is the point of all this singing when few of the songs move the story forward?...Somehow, Elless manages to rise about the material...Pinkham’s Sam is also a delight."
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